Arctic melt effecting the Gulf Stream

The ocean currents of the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean have slowed to the weakest in as long as 1,000 years. This threatens shifts in US and European weather, as well as coastal sea levels including in New York and Boston. The currents are probably affected by changes in ocean density as fresh water melts from Arctic ice sheets, scientists led by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research said in a study Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change. The Gulf Stream, one of the world’s most important flows, pumps warm water north and cold water south and is responsible for the mild climate in north-western Europe. Recent changes are unprecedented since the year 900,http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/arctic-melt-leading-to-weakest-gulf-stream-in-a-1000-years-20150323-1m6102.html